


Musings and Uncertainty

by ManaBanana



Category: Naruto
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, soft soft soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-27 20:05:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20051785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ManaBanana/pseuds/ManaBanana
Summary: Lee comes to check on Gaara the night before they head out to war. He makes a promise.





	Musings and Uncertainty

**Author's Note:**

> It's fucking 4am, what am I doing.  
I haven't posted a oneshot in forever lol.  
Enjoy some soft shit.

Lee isn't sure what to do to calm his anxious nerves as he meanders under the cover of night, the moonlight lighting his path with an almost ominous glow. He shakes his hands out, still sore from a nighttime training routine, as he glances at the tents that have been set up for the hundreds of shinobi before heading out to war in the morning.

He continues walking past the tents and notices the silhouettes of Kankuro and Temari, visible only from the lamp they keep on inside. They're whispering lowly amongst one another, voices too quiet for Lee to make out a single word. 

_It's impolite to eavesdrop_, he reminds himself after briefly hearing Gaara's name sprinkled into discussions of battle plans and continues walking. But what else would they be talking about? Lee fears the death of a teammate or sensei--but a sibling? That's a loss he cannot even imagine.

Lost in thought, Lee suddenly notices he's standing in front of Gaara's tent with a hand raised, ready to knock against the vinyl. He halts for a moment and feels his heart slamming in his chest.

He thinks he hears a quiet "come in," but doesn't move. Perhaps he imagined it. Lee considers walking away, unsure of why he even came in the first place.

A small hiss sounds underneath the tent and the flap moves underneath Lee's hand seemingly on its own.

"I said you could come in," comes a quiet, but deadpan voice.

Lee sputters some semblance of a response. 

He manages to finally look down and sees a small thread of sand working its way through the tent, holding the flap open. It almost looks like it's waiting for Lee to crawl through. He offers a tiny nod in thanks as it returns to its gourd with another long hiss.

The inside of the tent is smaller than Lee expects, especially for a Kage, decorated sparsely with a sleeping bag that Gaara would likely not be using and a lamp with a fire nearing the end of its tether. Gaara stares outside of a scant opening in the tent, his pale skin glowing almost blue underneath the sliver of moonlight that peaks through. He's curled in the corner with his chin resting in his hand, elbow resting atop his knee.

Lee suddenly feels strangely protective.

"Hello, Gaara," Lee says, still crouching inside of the tent. He freezes in place on his hands and knees, not sure exactly what he plans to do from here.

"You can sit," Gaara responds. He gestures toward the spot next to him without turning his head, then adds quietly, "I don't mind."

"Would that make you feel better?" Lee asks.

The question gives Gaara pause. He finally turns his head and blinks at Lee. 

"Feel better?" he repeats, as if he's never heard the phrase before.

"Are you nervous?" Lee asks, sitting back on his heels. "About the war, I mean. Being a general, I mean… that's a very big responsibility. 

"No," Gaara answers. "It's my job. I have to help people. I have to..." A crease worms its way between Gaara's eyes, a hint of frustration. He doesn't find a way to finish the thought and instead looks back outside.

There are a few minutes of silence between them.

"Are you going to sit?" Gaara asks.

"Um… sure," Lee says moving to sit on the sleeping bag next to Gaara. He sits close enough that their shoulders brush, but he swears he feels Gaara relax a bit.

"Aren't you tired?" Gaara asks.

"Hm? No, I… I was just training. And I wanted to check on you," Lee admits, only just realizing it as he speaks.

Gaara nods. "You can lie down if you like."

Lee doesn't move and Gaara turns to him, giving just the slightest roll of his eyes. It makes Lee smile.

"You look tired. Rest."

"If you say so." Lee smiles good-naturedly.

Lee slides down and turns on his side to face Gaara. He looks up at him from where he lays, pillowing his head with his arm to avoid craning his neck at an awkward angle. Gaara is sitting on the pillow.

Lee closes his eyes and notices that the sleeping bag is much more plush than his own. That makes sense. For a Kage. Of course Gaara would be given something that would pose as a comfort for the unbearable days to come. He would need it, despite the fact that he rarely slept.

Lee's eyes flutter open to look up at Gaara again. He finds himself staring, eyes slowly trailing across Gaara's features. The softness of his cheeks. The reflection of the moon in his pale eyes, starkly contrasted by the black rings around them. The deep red of his wavy hair.

But he looks so uneasy...

"Do you want to lie down, too?" Lee asks. 

Gaara turns toward him and Lee thinks he hears him chuckle. "I'll be fine." 

He places his free hand against Lee's cheek. It's soft. Warmer than Lee expects. The gesture is tender, almost too intimate for someone like Gaara. He brushes the edge of Lee's jaw with his fingers and his hand is gone too soon. 

"You rest. I'll watch over you," Gaara whispers.

"... Thank you."

Lee adjusts slightly, soothed by the warmth of Gaara's body next to his. His eyes slip shut.

He awakes within the hour, a bit startled, but finds someone shushing him before he can process what happened. 

"... Gaara?" Lee croaks. He stretches a bit and blinks sleepily.

"Go back to sleep," Gaara says back in a whisper.

Lee blinks a few more times and notices Gaara is now lying next to him, almost nose to nose. He's so warm, it almost… surprises Lee. Gaara is so compact. Lee doesn't want to describe him as tiny necessarily, but… without the gourd, lying curled up next to Lee, he actually looks like a teenager instead of a village leader or an army general.

Suddenly being in the springtime of their youth doesn't appear as wonderful as Gai-sensei made it seem… 

They were going to war in the morning. And neither knew whether the other would come back alive.

"Gaara?" He could hear his voice wavering. "Can I hold your hand…?"

His friend looks at him almost quizzically, like he's never been asked that question in his life. It takes a minute, but he moves the arm pinned underneath his body and puts it between them both.

Lee takes Gaara's hand in his own. He interlocks their fingers and squeezes. Instantly, he feels relief flood over him and Gaara watches in interest.

"Do you think we'll really win?" Lee asks.

Gaara is quiet for a moment. "Let's hope."

They leave it at that and Lee returns his focus to the feeling of Gaara's hand in his own. Gaara seems to be doing the same. The two lie there in silence, only making small adjustments and shifting their bodies every few minutes to make themselves more comfortable.

Lee feels sleep about to take him again and shifts a bit closer. He mindlessly plays with Gaara's fingers and brings their joined hands close enough until his lips graze the back of Gaara's hand.

"What are you doing?" Gaara cuts in.

That jolts Lee awake. 

"Oh, I… sorry," Lee feels heat creeping across the back of his neck and opens his mouth to apologize again, but Gaara tightens his grip.

"It feels nice," he says. Then, "Weird. But nice."

Lee smiles and grazes his lips against Gaara again until it becomes mindless. He moves on to put little pecks across his hand. Gradually, the movements slow until he's pressing soft kisses on the back of Gaara's hand, along his wrist, and back up. At some point, he's aware that Gaara is watching him, but he continues giving kiss after kiss.

He only stops when he feels a thumb graze his cheek. Gaara's fingers barely touch Lee's face, almost as if he's afraid to touch him. 

"Promise me you'll come back alive," Gaara whispers.

Lee presses a final kiss to Gaara's hand.

"I will." 

Gaara relaxes and he cups Lee's cheek in his palm, brushing his fingers across the fine black silk of Lee's hair.

Their noses brush now and Gaara gives the softest smile that melts Lee's heart. He swears he could kiss Gaara right then and there.

So he does.


End file.
